The legacy of the Wall after 35 years: New memorials for veterans

It was a cold and windy day in Washington D.C. 35 years ago as I spoke at a place on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial. A crowd of 50,000 people, mostly Vietnam veterans, gathered after a parade down Constitution Avenue. Three years of non-stop work was coming to an end. I took a deep breath.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” I said, “the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is now dedicated.” After I spoke those words, the crowd surged forward ― embracing this 492-foot-long chevron-shaped memorial engraved with the names of the over 58,000 American fallen from the Vietnam War.

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